A Lovely Way to Die is a 1968 American drama film directed by David Lowell Rich and starring Kirk Douglas, Sylva Koscina Eli Wallach and Kenneth Haigh. A police officer resigns from the force, and takes up a role as a bodyguard to the wife of a wealthy man. When her husband is found dead, he finds himself trying to clear her of murder.

The film is notable for two supporting players: Martyn Green, longtime Gilbert and Sullivan specialist and actor/singer/director with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, makes a rare movie appearance; and Ali McGraw makes her film debut in a walk-on.

Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch, Russian: И́сер Даниело́вич; December 9, 1916) is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past (1947), Champion (1949), Ace in the Hole (1951), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Lust for Life (1956), Paths of Glory (1957), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Spartacus (1960), and Lonely Are the Brave (1962).

He is No.17 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time, making him the highest-ranked living person on the list. In 1996, he received the Academy Honorary Award "for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community."

Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York, the son of Bryna "Bertha" (née Sanglel) and Herschel "Harry" Danielovitch, a businessman. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Gomel, Belarus. His father's brother, who emigrated earlier, used the surname Demsky, which Douglas's family adopted in the United States. In addition to their surname, his parents also changed their given names to Harry and Bertha. Douglas grew up as Izzy Demsky and legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the Navy during World War II.

Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was considered a master showman, one of the most dynamic and influential singers and performers in R&B and rock history. Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes, he went solo in 1957 and recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening. During a 1975 benefit concert, he collapsed on-stage from a heart attack and subsequently fell into a coma that persisted for nearly nine years until his death in 1984. By this time, he had become one of the most influential artists of his generation.

A two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, Jackie Wilson was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jackie Wilson #69 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Gary Hughes (born 5 July 1967, Manchester) is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten. He has also worked as a producer and songwriter for Bob Catley's first three solo albums, as well as Hugo's first album and has appeared on Vinny Burns' The Journey solo album and on the Ayreonauts Only album by the band Ayreon.

Gary Hughes began playing guitar at 9 years old and as he progressed he earned a scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music.

His solo musical career started in 1989 when Hughes released his first album, Big Bad Wolf (later renamed and re-released with extra tracks as Strength of Heart) through the Polygram Oslo label in Germany and Norway. In 1992 Hughes signed with the then newly formed Now & Then Records and his forthcoming self titled album was the first one released on that label.

In 1996, Hughes, joined by former Dare members Vinny Burns on guitar and Greg Morgan on drums begun working on what were to be his 3rd and 4th solo albums. The sessions quickly turned into more of a band situation and Ten was formed.